Chapter 190: The Making Of An Obsidian Disciple
Obsidian Martial Arts Hall basement.
As the newbies made a fuss in the confined room, the veteran players waiting outside simply watched quietly.
“This time is really rare, none of this batch of newcomers is acting stupid.” Fang Zhen looked at the newbies in the confined room, slightly surprised.
In the past, when newbies entered High Martial Arts Descend, even if they were very familiar with virtual games, many would still do foolish things, like ramming their heads into the iron walls of the confined room to see if they were really hard, and whether the headache felt real.
Some ruthless ones, after learning that High Martial Arts Descend could recreate skills from other virtual games, would try a wall-running move right away, stepping on the wall only to flip over and land headfirst, the back of their skull hitting the ground as they lay there waiting for resurrection.
“Of course. The game is popular now, and there are plenty of detailed materials and videos about High Martial Arts Descend on the forums. Anyone who has taken a look at those won’t act stupid again.” Twilight of the Gods explained.
“These newcomers really are different this time. I actually recognize many well-known experts from other god-tier titles.” Yi Ye Fu Yun glanced at the newcomers in the confined room and clicked his tongue. “What is going on with High Martial Arts Descend now? How can there be so many famous experts from other god-tier games?”
“You don’t know? The Test Assessment of High Martial Arts Descend is exploding right now.” Saiwai Qiangke beside him explained, “Experts from all the major games never accepted one another, and it was hard to compare them. But the Test Assessment has a virtual degree of one hundred percent and can reproduce skills and techniques from other games. This made many experts who never accepted each other start competing, seeing who can last longer in front of the test boss. It is just that so far no one has lasted twenty seconds.”
“On the contrary, those repeated challenges have greatly improved their own technical levels, drawing more and more experts to High Martial Arts Descend’s Test Assessment to hone their skills.”
“Everyone is competing? Then I’ll go test it later too.” When Fang Zhen heard that, he could not help feeling eager, wanting to know where his level stood now.
Previously, in terms of technical skill, he was only about a standard second-tier professional on the Mecha Continent, but after his battle with Blue Enchantress, his technical level rose to first-class.
Now he was completely addicted to High Martial Arts Descend and could not pull himself out. He had even completely skipped his team’s training camp. Out of twenty-four hours a day, he spent twenty hours in High Martial Arts Descend, and the remaining four hours were only used to eat and ensure deep sleep, or else it would affect his mental state in High Martial Arts Descend.
It had to be said that the excessive realism of High Martial Arts Descend was also quite a troublesome problem.
“I advise you not to try it.” Ye Qinglu, who had not spoken much, suddenly said.
“Big sis, why don’t you let Old Zhen try it?” Yi Ye Fu Yun asked curiously from the side. “Isn’t this interesting? Maybe Old Zhen will take first place and leave all the top experts from other games stunned.”
At this moment Fang Zhen also looked at Ye Qinglu with some curiosity, not understanding why she did not recommend him to give it a try.
“It is precisely because he could take first place that I don’t recommend it.” Ye Qinglu rolled her eyes at Yi Ye Fu Yun. “You have not become a martial artist yet, so you don’t know what this represents. But Captain Fang should have some sense of it. Whether it’s your mental state or the sharpness of your five senses, they are much stronger than before.”
“Now that you mention it, that really does seem to be the case.” Fang Zhen thought for a moment and nodded.
“Why don’t I feel anything?” Yi Ye Fu Yun said in surprise.
“It is normal that you don’t. You are not a martial artist. Once you become one, you will naturally understand.” Looking at her silly younger brother, Ye Qinglu could not help shaking her head. “I do not know what kind of black technology High Martial Arts Descend uses, but it clearly has a very good developmental effect on our brains. After becoming martial artists, our brains undergo a considerable change. It is like a child growing into an adult. Is bullying those children any fun?”
“No way, is the gap that big?” Yi Ye Fu Yun was truly shocked.
Ye Qinglu had never been one to exaggerate or speak nonsense. Since she described it as the gap between an adult and a child, it meant the difference between the two sides really was that great.
But according to Saiwai Qiangke, the experts playing the Test Assessment now were not ordinary gaming experts, and some were not inferior to the saint-level existences in Pilgrimage.
And such experts, in Ye Qinglu’s eyes, were actually children?
Although, as the vice leader of the Azure Travelers, Ye Qinglu’s strength was indeed formidable, it was absolutely impossible for her to be so strong that she could treat saint-level beings as children.
“If you don’t believe me, we can spar offline. I will stand still and deal with you using just one hand.” Ye Qinglu looked at the astonished Yi Ye Fu Yun, a smile rising at the corner of her lips.
“No! No! I believe you! I really do!” Looking at Ye Qinglu’s smiling face, Yi Ye Fu Yun hurriedly begged for mercy.
Ever since Ye Qinglu started playing High Martial Arts Descend, their spars had been like a grandmother beating her grandson. He did not even have the chance to fight back, and the confidence he had finally built up was completely gone.
Now he could only bully the provincial fighting champion they hired to recover a bit of confidence.
After glancing at Yi Ye Fu Yun, Ye Qinglu turned to Fang Zhen and said, “If many people found out that you were grinding the top experts who have been famous in various games for years into the ground, what do you think would happen?”
“A sensation?” Fang Zhen said.
“That would be the smallest impact.” Ye Qinglu shook her head slightly. “A lot of people would investigate this. Crowds of them would pester you. And discovering that this is due to High Martial Arts Descend would only be a matter of time. When that happens, what do you think will occur?”
“More and more people will want to play High Martial Arts Descend. Things inside High Martial Arts Descend will become increasingly exhausting, and the competition will grow more and more intense!” Fang Zhen suddenly understood, cold sweat dripping down his back.
Right now he was already forced into playing twenty hours a day. If even more experts entered High Martial Arts Descend, he would not need to sleep anymore.
Ye Qinglu only nodded slightly and did not say more.
In fact, she also wanted to say that the game getting more exhausting was a small matter; the qualification of the cosmic pioneer was what really mattered. To obtain the unknown substance that could double one’s lifespan, those ruthless dignitaries would show no mercy.
Before obtaining cosmic pioneer qualifications, could someone who only played games really turn the world upside down?
While Ye Qinglu, Fang Zhen, and the others were chatting quietly, Lin Qi finished the opening CG, allowing all the newcomers to move freely.
In an instant, several major teams present and many super rich players rushed forward to recruit.
“Tianwei recruitment. Join and get a smart watch and a full set of basic martial skills, plus experts to teach and lead you so you can enjoy a comfortable newbie phase. Don’t miss out if you pass by!”
“Recruiting long-term gold farmers, room and board included, plus an A6 battle armor. We will carry you in the early stages!”
…
In the currently sparsely populated High Martial Arts Descend, every newcomer was extremely precious and crucial for the game’s early accumulation. So each side spared no expense in recruitment, putting out all the welfare and treatment they could, leaving the newcomers dazzled and unsure what choice to make.
Only after the newcomers who wanted to join teams were almost entirely divided up by the major teams did the 140 newcomers sit neatly on the training ground in the first floor lobby, following the first level of the Startling Spirit Breathing Technique that Lin Qi had given them, and began to cultivate seriously.
“Hall master, what did you need me for?”
Meng Wei, who had been resting on the second floor, hurried over to stand before Lin Qi on the training ground, puzzled as to why Lin Qi had suddenly contacted him.
He was currently handling the recruitment of disciples for the martial arts hall by himself and was almost worked to death. Fortunately he still had two disciples helping him, so he did not need to personally go around the territory to arrange accommodations for the new recruits.
Otherwise, he would not even get a brief rest now.
“Yes. I have an important matter to entrust to you, though I do not know if you can handle it.” Lin Qi nodded, his expression serious as he looked at the currently very capable Meng Wei.
Seeing his serious expression, Meng Wei realized it had to be something big and felt both nervous and secretly delighted.
Although he was a martial artist who could easily serve as an elder in any suburban gang, Obsidian Martial Arts Hall was different.
Just yesterday, he had personally witnessed two more people break through to become martial artists. At this point, among the disciples of Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, there were already eight martial artists. As a nearly fifty-year-old beginner martial artist, he basically had no value.
His only use now was helping Obsidian Martial Arts Hall with recruitment. It was only a matter of time before he would be neglected and eliminated.
The only thing he could think of was to learn the martial artist level cultivation method of Obsidian Martial Arts Hall and hope to break through his current bottleneck to become an intermediate martial artist.
But even so, he was already quite content. After all, becoming an intermediate martial artist was not easy, especially at his age, where the difficulty of breaking through was even higher.
However, if he could gain the attention of Hall Master Lin Qi and receive some guidance and instruction from this genius martial artist, his chances of success would undoubtedly increase greatly.
“Please speak, hall master. It is my honor to serve you.” Meng Wei replied firmly, without any pretense.
“Starting tomorrow, I want you to be a coach of our Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, responsible for the training of the hall’s new disciples.” Lin Qi said.
“Me? Can I manage that?” Meng Wei was stunned.
Whether viewed as a martial arts hall or as a faction, teaching disciples was an extremely important matter for Obsidian Martial Arts Hall. He was only a beginner martial artist who had just joined and knew nothing about Obsidian Martial Arts Hall’s teaching methods.
If he misled the disciples, punishment was one thing, but losing Lin Qi’s regard would be disastrous.
“Don’t worry. This is the training list.” Lin Qi smiled and handed him a prepared list. “All you need to do is supervise them to complete it. You do not need to actually teach them much yourself.”
Meng Wei instantly let out a sigh of relief. As long as he was not directly responsible for instruction, it would not be too difficult. Then he looked at the training list Lin Qi had given him and was completely dumbfounded.
This was no training list. It was a death note.
It actually ordered him to issue tasks to eliminate all unstable elements in the territory, and to classify them into D-level and C-level tasks based on difficulty.
“Hall master, while rectifying the territory’s public order is important, every major power’s territory has people operating in the shadows. Shops use them for covert competition. All the major powers turn a blind eye. After all, they are lone wolves and dare not provoke suburban forces like us. Dealing with a few dozen of them is one thing, but if we clear all such people from our territory and forbid this kind of business entirely, it will definitely enrage those people across the whole city.” Meng Wei said worriedly. “Individually they might not be scary, but if they all act from the shadows together, we might not be able to handle it.”
Within the city there were many rogues who joined no faction and specialized in assassination and disruption, a group of desperadoes.
The major powers in the city were too lazy to bother with them because these rogues knew their limits, and those who hired them were usually enterprises and shops, not gangs or factions fighting each other.
If they truly cleared out all the rogues within their territory, it would be equivalent to announcing to all rogues in the City of Light Chasing that Obsidian Martial Arts Hall’s territory would no longer tolerate such business. For these desperadoes, that was no different from taking their lives.
Once Obsidian Martial Arts Hall did this, if those desperadoes did not immediately resist, other suburban forces, seeing Obsidian Martial Arts Hall’s territory becoming prosperous, would definitely follow suit. Then the whole City of Light Chasing would no longer have soil for rogues to survive. Fighting to the death would be inevitable, unless they left the City of Light Chasing.
But if these desperadoes were being targeted by just one suburban faction and immediately abandoned the city they had operated in for many years, that was clearly impossible. It would be easier to join forces and force Obsidian Martial Arts Hall to yield.
“It’s fine. Just follow this list for training.” Lin Qi said carelessly. “Since no power in the entire City of Light Chasing is willing to create a pure land, then our Obsidian Martial Arts Hall will be the first.”
He was determined to increase the number of disciples in Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, since it brought him great benefits.
If he wanted people in the city to join Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, he first needed to provide a very safe environment. Otherwise, how could it grow in a place plagued by constant assassinations and battles?
These parasitic rogues were his first step toward improving the environment.
Anyway, players did not need to build houses now. Mining and defense could be left to the local residents. They spent all day cultivating and improving. Where was the gaming fun in that?
Wars between gangs were not suitable for new players, but dealing with these rogues was just right.
“Becoming the first pure land?” Meng Wei was stunned.
He had never expected Lin Qi to be such an idealistic and ambitious genius martial artist, thinking far beyond personal profit and beyond what Meng Wei could imagine.
“All right, go conduct a thorough investigation. Once you have it clear, publish the tasks through the smart watch I gave you. You only need to confirm afterward whether they completed them.” Seeing the admiration in Meng Wei’s eyes, Lin Qi felt a bit embarrassed and urged him to hurry and make arrangements. He had to let these new players create more value.
The smart watch he gave Meng Wei had been modified and recompiled so that text Meng Wei published could be converted into Blue Star text when displayed on players’ smart watches. The players’ smart watches worked the same way, enabling people like Meng Wei to better manage the players.
“Yes!”
Coming back to his senses, Meng Wei immediately bowed and left, excited to investigate the rogues entrenched in the three territories of Obsidian Martial Arts Hall.
The next morning, Meng Wei posted tasks on the smart watch to clear out the several hundred rogues he had initially identified, leaving both new and veteran players dumbfounded.
“What is going on?”
“Hundreds of newbie tasks?”
“Damn! Can I apply for a new account now?”
In the past, newbie tasks were either farming or digging holes, or building houses. Occasionally a transport task appeared, and crowds would fight over it.
Now, as soon as the newcomers arrived, there were hundreds of newbie tasks waiting for them. It felt like they could not even choose between them. It was like these veterans and the newcomers were not even playing the same game…
